A Good Horse and a Rifle

The Legend of Poole Kentucky


There is a legend told in Webster county of a Revolutionary Soldier who feared possible Indiana trouble and didn't want to be here when it happened. He sold 2,400 acres to WILLIAM JOHN POOLE of North Carolina in early 1826 for the price of a "good horse and a rifle". This is where WILLIAM JOHN POOLE settled.

POOLE was born in 1776, the year of the American Revolution, and married rather late in life for that time period. In 1805 at the age of 29, he married JANE HUSTON of Nelson County, Ky. Huston was a member of the Kentucky Legislature in Nelson County in 1821. It is said the John Huston's cousin SAM HOUSTON/HUSTON, once passed through the tiny settlement of Poole to visit with his relatives while on his way to the more adventurous west -- Texas in particular.

WILLIAM J. POOLE and his wife raised 12 children in Poole, most of whom stayed in the small town and raised families of their own. Descendants of those early settlers still live in Poole, some of them not far from their original home settlements.

THE FAMILY OF WILLIAM JOHN AND JANE HUSTON POOLE

WILLIAM J. POOLE the son of THOMAS POOLE was born Jan 20, 1776 in Pa and died 8 Jun 1861. He married JANE HUSTON born April 20th, 1871, the daughter of JOHN HUSTON 16 April 1804 in Bardstown, Kentucky.

WILLIAM J. AND JANE HUSTON POOLE had 12 known children:
  1. ADIN COMBS POOLE born 5 March 1805 and died February 10, 1843. He married SARAH CAVANAUGH in 1833 and is buried at the Old Salem Cemetery, Henderson County, Kentucky.
  2. SAMUEL WILSON POOLE was born 7 Aug 1806 and died January 1852. He is buried at the Old Salem Cemetery, Henderson County, Kentucky.
  3. PERMELIA COMBS POOLE was born 3 Mar 1808 and died 3 Jan 1870. She married WILLIAM SUTTON in 1854 and is buried at the Raleigh Cemetery, Henderson County, Ky.
  4. EMALINE POOLE was born 8 Nov 1809 and died 28 Mar 1877. She married RUSSELL KNIGHT THORNBERRY 9 Jun 1830. She is buried at the Watson cemetery, Henderson Co.., Ky.
  5. PAULINE POOLE was born 16 Oct 1811 and died May 9, 1889.
  6. NANCY HUSTON POOLE was born 10 Oct 1813 and died in 1895.
  7. JOHN HUSTON POOLE was born 5 Sep 1815 and died 13 Feb 1892. He married Margaret A. --- and is buried at the Poole Em, Henderson Cemetery., Ky.
  8. GEORGE WASHINGTON POOLE was born 2 mar 1818 in Nelson Co.., Ky and died 1 Jul 1898. He married REBECCA A. TOWNSEND 30 Sep 1861 in Webster Co.., Ky.
  9. THOMAS JEFFERSON POOLE was born 30 Jul 1820 and died 2 mar 1872. He married MARY E MC MULLIN 7 Jun 1849. He is buried at Old Salem, Webster Co., Ky.
  10. WILLIAM WAKEFIELD POOLE was born 9 Nov 1822 in Nelson Co., Ky and died 24 May 188. he married ANNE ELIZA STEPHENS 15 Jul 1859 in Henderson Co., Ky. He is buried at Shady grove, Poole, Webster Co., Ky.
  11. ELIZABETH JANE POOLE
  12. JAMES NELSON POOLE


Mary Pamelia "Mollie" Poole Sellers, holding Samuel Beckham Sellers who died December 1904 of whooping cough, Stella M, Leona Poole and Pearl D. Sellers.

One grand daughter, named MARY, married SAMUEL SELLERS, and gave birth to seven daughters and two sons, some of whom have descendants living in Poole. Another grand daughter, ABAGAIL, married HAMILTON ALLEN, and had 14 children. Some of these descendants also still live in Poole.

THE FAMILY OF SAMUEL WASHINGTON SELLERS and MARY PAMELIA POOLE


Samuel Washington Sellers, the son of Thomas Andrew Jackson "Jack" Sellers and Sarah Jane Melton, was born December 7, 1873 in Webster County, Ky and died February 2, 1930 in Henderson, Henderson County, Ky. He married Mary Pamelia "Mollie" Poole, the daughter of Anne Eliza Stephens and William Wakefield Poole December 7, 1893 in Evansville, Vanderburg County, Indiana. Mollie was born February 22, 1876 in Webster County, Ky and died June 25, 1968 in Henderson, Henderson County, Ky. Samuel Washington and Mary Pamelia had eleven children.

1.
STELLA M. SELLERS born January 7, 1895 in Webster County, Ky and died July 4, 1960 in Webster County, Ky married Rev. Ernest York Laslie in 1916. Ernest was born December 8, 1893 in Illinois and died September 8, 1952 in Henderson, Henderson County, Ky. They are buried at Shady Grove Cemetery, Poole, Ky. Stella and Ernest had one son:
    HUBERT YORK LASLIE born October 9, 1917 and died September 16, 1931 in Henderson, Henderson County, Ky. He is buried at Shady Grove Cemetery, Poole, Ky.

2.
LILLY LORENE SELLERS born July 7, 1897 and died March 18, 1898. She is buried at Shady Grove Cemetery, Poole, Ky.

3.
LEONA POOLE SELLERS born March 23, 1899 in Webster County, Ky and died May 8, 1971. She is buried at Shady Grove Cemetery, Poole, Ky.

4.
PEARL D SELLERS born 1901 in Webster County, Ky and died 1914. She is buried at Shady Grove Cemetery, Poole, Ky.

5.
SAMUEL BECKHAM SELLERS born December 6, 1903 in Poole, Webster County, Ky and died December 11, 1904 of whooping cough in Poole, Webster County, Ky. He is buried at Shady Grove, Poole, Ky.

6. ABAGIL JENETTE (JENNIE) SELLERS born October 9, 1905 in Webster County, Ky and died September 4, 1944 in Poole, Webster County, Ky married Byron Bradley, the son of Fannie Adel Brown and Joseph Bradley. Byron was born August 20, 1901 and died August 30, 1928. Byron and Jennie had two children:

    1. Robert Lee Bradley born December 5, 1926.
    2. Eugene Ray (Buddy) Bradley born April 5, 1928 who married Ruth Poole.

7.
ANNIE MARIE SELLERS born March 26, 1908 in Webster County, Ky and died January 17, 1980 married WOODRUFF W BRACKETT. Woodruff was born August 29, 1900 in Ky and died February 27, 1953 in Henderson, Henderson County, Ky. He is buried at Fairmont Cemetery in Henderson, Ky. Annie Marie is buried at Fernwood Cemetery in Henderson, Ky. They had four children:
    1. Marion Brackett born December 25, 1924 who married Paul Lee Keneipp.
    2. Harold Roy Brackett born September 26, 1931.
    3. Jo Rene Brackett born May 26, 1935 who married Frank Tieken May 5, 1955.
    4. Sara Jane Brackett born September ? who married Joe Roop July 14, 1956.

8.
MARY KATHERINE SELLERS born May 11, 1911 in Kentucky and died April 7, 1989 in Fall Church County, Virginia. She married MELVIN BERKMEIR December 31, 1935. Mary Katherine is buried at Shady Grove Cemetery, Poole, Ky. They had one daughter:

    1. Mellie Berkmeir born November 10, 1935 in Sunland County, California.

9.
GEORGIA RAE SELLERS was born October 2, 1914 in Ky and died March 7, 1976 in Henderson, Henderson County, Ky married COLMAN DAVID SHADRICK. Georgia is buried at City Cemetery, Rawlin, Wy. Georgia and Colman had one son:
    1. GLEN DAVID SHADRICK.

10.
ALBEN JACKSON SELLARS(SELLERS) born December 6, 1918 and died April 1980 married PEARL JOAN LUCKERY who was born January 10, 1919. Alben Jackson and Pearl Joan had four children:

    1. Jacklynne Kay Sellars born November 14, 1945 who married John F. Candid March 12, 1972.
    2. Pamela Sellars born May 11, 1948 who married Robert Daniel Keeling II May 22, 1971.
    3. Leona Faye Sellars born July 15, 1953 who married Stephen Philip Knutson June 9, 1973.
    4. Alben Jackson Sellars born July 11, 1956 married Patricia E. Sellars.

11.
ROGER MELTON SELLERS born April 28, 1923 in Ky and died July 22, 1973 in Henderson, Henderson County, Ky married VIRGINIA JANE BRADLEY, the daughter of ROBERTIA SHELTON and NORBAN E. BRADLEY May 3, 1941 in Corydon, Webster County, Ky. Virginia was born November 27, 1924. They had two children:

    1. SAMUEL WELDEN SELLERS born May 14, 1946 who married JANICE MISER.
    2. LEONA MELANE SELLERS born March 30 ? who married VERNON LEE RIDEOUT 1966.


Poole's Mill, as it was then called, remained a part of Henderson County until February 29, 1860, when it officially was divided due to the establishment of the new Webster County area. Thirty-four years later, in June of 1894, Poole's Mill was changed to simply "Poole".

Poole and his wife established the first house and first mill in Poole in about 1827-8. they also ran the first store. This is an original picture of the old Poole homeplace where the first Poole settlers were raised. Here JOHN POOLE founder of Poole's Academy of the 1800's, and all his brethren mingled and grew to adulthood. It was located on the road turning left (Hwy.56) beside the Post Office, but was torn down many years ago. The Audie Wilson's have built their home on this property now. Poole's first reunions were held here, in the shaded woods area to the left. Their son, Thomas Jefferson Poole, later ran the same mill, while a brother, William, was an innkeeper of a place called the "16-miles house."


Poole also boasted a blacksmith shop, a millinery shop, three tobacco factories, and in January of 1855, a post office, ran by another Poole named William W. Poole. Poole even had a jail, remnants of which can still be seen just off Main Street.


Poole's mill, where wheat and corn were ground, was originally run by horse-power. Grain was then stored in large sacks that were sewn together by hand, and carried slung over the shoulder. What was brought into the mill after being cut by hand with a large, unwieldy, ( and extremely sharp) sickle. One acre was usually about all that one man could cut in one day.

In later years, the mill was alternately run by steam, and the one today is run with the help of a diesel motor.

The mill has had several owners over the years, some of whom were J.C. "BURR" TAPP, co-owner with LEE TAPP and NOAH TAPP in about 1910. Other owners later were KUNTZ and JAMES THORNBERRY of Dixon. In 1924, the original mill burnt, and was replaced shortly thereafter by the present one we see today.

In 1848, the Poole's Mill Missionary Baptist Church was built. In 1883, the first Christian Church was built on a plot of land that was deeded to the church in 1882 by WILLIAM W. POOLE. And in 1952, the third and last church was built on the same site, and is known today as Poole Church of Christ.

The first congregation was organized by a FATHER COLLINS of Hopkins County over 10 years before the church was built, however, FATHER COLLINS met with his congregation at the old Columbia Schoolhouse, located at that time about two miles west of Poole's Mill. In 1872 the congregation consisted of one MR. AND MRS. J. TAPP. The first preacher to preach in the newly constructed church in 1883 was HARRY DAVIS. Eight people attended services on that long ago Sunday evening.

The General Baptist Church in Poole also began its history at an early date, being first established in 1843 with the Association of Baptist Churches. The original church was located in the back part of the present church's cemetery lot, but was moved to its present location when the current church was built in 1903.

The church was at first an entirely wood frame, but later renovations gave it its permostone covering, plus a few other additions over the years. The first preacher came to the church in 1860, the same year it was reorganized. His name was Rev. G. P. Cavanah of Christian County.

The Methodist Church we see today was built in 1900 on land donated for that purpose by MRS. CLARISSA POOLE MELTON. It's first preacher was W.A. EASLEY. Before the church was built, followers of the Methodist faith met in a local "union" type church allt though latter part of the 1800's.

Other congregations who did not have a regular meeting place also shared this community building with everyone taking turns on a basis of each having one particular Sunday a month.



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